Chapter 31
ROYAL
PLAYING WITH FIRE
Dad and I are moving the furniture back into the living room while Mom disarms the robot vacuums. She chats with Leticia about her university degree and the Christmas market.
Leticia easily fits in here, and that’s a massive relief.
Mom doesn’t get along with just anyone, but her eyebrows are relaxed, which is Mom’s tell for whether she likes someone.
I hadn’t realized how worried I was about her getting along with two of the most important people in my life. I breathe easier.
“What are you doing, Royal?” Dad murmurs as we set the couch back down in its normal space.
“Gregorio asked his daughter to spy on us. I was planning on telling you and Valor, but clearly, there were more important things for you to worry about, and I had this handled.” I keep my voice low, turning my back to the kitchen.
“Then why did you bring her here? Why did Valor authorize telling her the family secret?” Dad pinches the bridge of his nose just like Valor does when he’s upset.
“Because I already have total control over her phone and because I know she’s smart enough to figure out Antonella is now part of the family secret.
Valor already wanted to tell her before Antonella was turned.
” I try to explain as quickly as I can. Clearly, Valor didn’t tell Dad as much as I thought he would have.
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and Leticia isn’t friendly with her father. ”
Dad drops his hand from his face and eyes me. “You’re falling in love with her.”
Falling? Hardly. My wolf snorts. Fell for our mate the minute we started stalking her.
“Royal,” Dad growls low. He reaches out and grips my shoulder. “You can’t have her just because you’re obsessed with her.”
“I know,” I huff.
It would be easier if I told him she’s my mate, but a part of me wants to keep her to myself for a little bit longer. I want to be the one to tell her everything, not have it outed within the first hour of her being here.
“I’m controlling the narrative. Have some faith in me. As far as sons making mistakes, this week, mine have been less offensive than Valor’s, where pack volatility is concerned.”
Just throw Valor under the bus to distract from our mate? My wolf chuffs. This is going well.
“Be careful.” Dad squeezes a little harder and then lets go. “Men in our family become idiots when it comes to women we fall for.”
I nod, knowing better than to promise him nothing will happen and that he doesn’t have to worry. He totally needs to worry.
Dad leads the way back to the kitchen to grab another piece of furniture.
I pick up an armchair when Mom says, “Oh, stop. I helped your father move them out here, he and I can move them just fine without you. Dinner is at six thirty. You and Leticia go have a good time.”
“Oh, what time should I come to help cook?” Leticia immediately responds.
Mom’s eyes go wide before she squints at her. “Are you a guest, or are you here against your will?”
“Uh. I think the former.” Leticia looks at me.
But Dad is already cracking up laughing.
“Guests don’t cook.” Mom gives her a big, warm smile.
“Well, if you’re sure.” Leticia’s cheeks are turning pink. “I’m just so used to doing it at home. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend.”
“No offense taken.” Mom steps around the kitchen counter and wraps her in a big hug.
Mom likes her. Dad will approve. My wolf calculates. Now all you have to do is seal the deal.
I shove him away because why did I think this wouldn’t be hard? Why did I think having her here was a good idea when I can barely go ten minutes without thinking about her?
They hug for a second before Mom lets Leticia go and shoos her toward me.
I know it’s wrong. I know everything about this is wrong, but until after Christmas, I’m going to live in this fantasy world. I’ll believe that this . . . this could be ours.
I let Leticia go down the stairs to my lair first so she’s not watching me hop down each stair to avoid straining my leg any further. At the bottom of the stairs, Leticia looks around, examining. I try to see the space for the first time with her.
There’s a sitting area with a fireplace and comfortable lounge seating off in one direction, where several doors lead to a couple bedrooms and closets. Ahead is the door to the server rooms that’s closed. My bedroom door is open on the left, and my bathroom is tucked around behind the stairs.
It’s not all that spacious looking, but it’s only half of the older house’s walk-out basement. Mom and Dad’s house is nowhere as big and grand as Valor’s.
“This is really nice.” Leticia looks up at me. “I really like how cozy everything is. Home is so . . . well, you’ve seen it.”
“Your penthouse is grandiose and mausoleum-like.” I share the observations I’ve gathered from scrolling through camera feeds.
“Oh, thank god someone else sees it.” Leticia giggles.
Without thinking too much about it, I lead the way into my lair. It’s the original living room of the basement and is spacious. Thankfully, clean. The housekeepers came yesterday morning and straightened out the usual shit I can’t be bothered with.
“This is so cool.” Leticia looks at my desk setup with the monitor wall and various spaces for laptops.
“But wait, there’s more.” I use a fake game-show-host voice and snatch my tablet off the desk. After opening the app, I turn on the LED lights around the room and dim the overhead, making it cozy and warm rather than the cold, sterile feeling the central lighting gives off.
“Whoa.” Leticia looks around the room, her eyes lighting up. “This is everything a bedroom should be.”
“Bedroom slash workspace, sure.” I put the tablet back down and step toward her, listening closely.
Her heartbeat picks up, and her breaths come a little faster.
“Ideally, I’d have the workspace be an ensuite and keep the bedroom more intimate.”
This close to her, I drink in her features.
High definition doesn’t compare to the real thing.
She looks at me with wide, searching eyes, but her expression is open, her pink lips slightly parted.
Having her in my space makes it impossible to fight the pull to her.
Her eyes flick down to my mouth before returning to mine.
I don’t even bother trying to stop myself. I raise my hand to her face, and Leticia doesn’t object when I tilt her chin up toward me. One small lean forward, and I press my lips to hers, kissing as gently as possible.
Leticia kisses me back and then yields, letting me guide us deeper into the act. I go slow because nowhere in any of our conversations did it sound like she’s had the chance to do this with someone.
When I pull away, we’re both breathless.
“That was my first kiss,” Leticia whispers, a huge smile pulling at those soft lips.
Fire burns through me at her confession. Thinking it and being right feel entirely different.
“I hope it didn’t suck.” I raise my eyebrows. “We could try again if it did.”
“We could do it again just because it’s fun.” Leticia smirks.
This time, I wrap my fingers into her hair, bringing my other hand up to cup her chin, and kiss her like I wanted to from the beginning. It’s deep, hard, and everything I’m too cowardly to say aloud. Everything that’s too risky to even think about for too long.
She fists my shirt as if to pull me closer to her, but with millimeters to spare between us, there’s nowhere to go, not without becoming one with each other, not without being buried deep between her legs.
If she asks for it, I don’t have the power to say no.
I also don’t have the ability to stop myself from pushing my tongue into her mouth.
Leticia moans and lets me explore before pushing her tongue back against mine and playing with me.
My cock throbs, and I try to shuffle away so she doesn’t have to feel me pitch a tent against her, but Leticia pulls me back. Skilled little fingers pull at my shirt, untucking it from inside my slacks.
I break our kiss, breathing hard and trying to hold it together. But all I want to do is throw her down on my bed and take every last first from her.
“Gorgeous, you’re playing with fire.” I try to step away, my hands falling from her hair and face.
Leticia’s pupils are blown wide, the beautiful sea-blue color all but encompassed. “I’m okay with that.”
“I need you to give me more than four words.” My voice is hoarse, and I clear my throat.
She nods, and my heart is hammering in my chest.
“First orgasm, first kiss, first everything.” Leticia’s voice doesn’t waver, but then her body tightens. “Wait, I’m on my period. Forget I —”
I kiss her deeply again, stopping her objections. I murmur against her lips, so glad I fell into a doom spiral of research last night. “Don’t worry about it. I scoured the internet last night. Orgasms and sex can help with cramps.”
“It’s messy.” Leticia objects, but then kisses me again. “Your parents? They’ll hear? Or I don’t know, walk in?”
“Mmm, too bad no one invented something to get clean with. Oh, wait.” I smile against her lips and kiss her again. I lean behind me and push the door closed, the hinges dragging it shut and latching with a soft thud. “My parents won’t hear, and they won’t venture downstairs.”
“Are you sure?” She pulls away, but her fingers remain on the hem of my shirt.
“Yeah, I’m positive I know how to wash bedding and get clean,” I answer.
“Not that.” She sighs and rolls her eyes but also pulls me closer. “I mean about us, having sex. It’ll change things about us being friends. We’ll be friends with benefits. What if you don’t like me anymore after that?”
“One. I see nothing wrong with friends with benefits. Two. I could never not like you. Three. Nothing will change how I feel about you.” I stop myself before saying, Four, I love you.
We love you. Our mate, my wolf adds.
“I don’t want my first time to be with some guy I just met after a wedding I didn’t want because my . . .” Leticia sighs, her body deflating with it. “Please.”